Yesterday we were told that Anthony Douglas Lowie might pass within twenty-four hours. We rushed to his room at Central City Lodge (CCL), only to find that he had already slipped away. We called his name, our voices breaking, and the tears came. In the Downtown Eastside, where suffering is visible on every corner, this moment touched us deeply.
Until a few months ago, Anthony lived on the streets, often sleeping right outside our door, at other times in front of the courthouse. Many mornings we invited him into The Door is Open before service started, so that he could enjoy a coffee and snack, or get a change of clothes. We watched him descend so quickly, and yet with his presence he wove people together, drawing us into a shared purpose: to restore dignity, worth, and the recognition that he was always a son of God. We were overjoyed for him when he was assigned a room at CCL and were happy to be able to visit him in his greatly improved situation.
God was with Anthony in those final hours. I believe it was a time shared between him and his Creator, free from judgment, seen only for his goodness and the love he carried in his heart. He is dearly known and infinitely worthy of a place in paradise.
I reflected on how God brings people, broken or whole, into our lives and through both, blessings unfold in ways we often cannot understand. When God sends someone our way, He prepares our hearts and grants us the grace to embrace them, even when our own resistance or uncertainty whispers otherwise. It is a wonder how He nudges us to say “yes” when we want to say “no,” and in that consent, He fills us with a joy that overflows even when the circumstances are messy or heavy. That joy becomes a wellspring of strength, empowering us to pour ourselves out in love for another.
Sr. Chita, August 15, 2025
